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Reed shows better stuff out of 'pen

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Reed fans Ichiro 0:15

3/12/14: Evan Reed gets Ichiro Suzuki to strike out swinging in the bottom of the fifth inning

By Jason Beck
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MLB.com |

SEATTLE -- What could've been another rough night for the Tigers bullpen to cover innings became manageable Saturday thanks in large part to Evan Reed, whose struggles last week against the Indians and Rangers led to more work for others.

Pitching on five days' rest once Drew Smyly lasted just four innings, Reed faced the minimum six batters over the fifth and sixth innings, erasing Justin Smoak's fifth-inning single with a Kyle Seager double play.

Reed threw first-pitch strikes to all six batters he faced, and put four of them into 0-2 counts. He ended his outing with back-to-back strikeouts, fanning John Buck on a 1-2 slider before he caught Cole Gillespie watching the same pitch.

Ausmus said Reed has been working with pitching coach Jeff Jones on raising his front arm in his delivery to hide the ball better before he releases it.

"It seems like he's creating more deception on the ball," Ausmus said Sunday morning. "That's what I'm seeing the last two outings, definitely."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.